Tehran (AFP)

Judicial authorities in Iran said on Saturday that a young woman, who was arrested in 2018 for trying to enter a football stadium and set herself on fire last week, "confessed her mistake" when of his interrogation.

The spokesman of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Esmaili, quoted by the website of the Ministry of Justice Mizan Onlinze, however, did not specify what this "error".

In Iran, women have been banned from stadiums since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, with religious leaders arguing that they should be protected from the "male atmosphere".

The death of Sahar Khodayari, nicknamed the "blue girl", in reference to the colors of his team, has stirred the excitement on social networks, where calls have been made to FIFA to ban Iran from international competitions and fans to boycott matches.

Sahar Khodayari was arrested in 2018 attempting to enter a stadium disguised as a man to attend a match of his favorite team, Esteghlal FC Tehran, according to the sports information site Varzesh3, quoting his sister. She was later released on an unspecified date.

Last week, the young woman, in her thirties, burned herself in front of a court in Tehran after hearing that she would spend six months in prison, according to Varzesh3. .

But Mizan Online had then indicated that no sentence had been pronounced and that there had not even been a trial.

Iran's Vice President Massoumeh Ebtekar then called on the head of the judiciary to open an investigation.

According to Gholamhossein Esmaili, the young woman "clearly admitted to having made a mistake during her interrogation, accepted it and expressed her regrets". He did not give further details.

He also dismissed as "rumors" reports that the young woman was told that she would be jailed for six months.

FIFA, which said "regret this tragedy", had increased its pressure on Iran to allow women to attend qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup, and had given it until 31 August for do it, under penalty of consequences.

The Sports Ministry said on August 25 that the supporters would be allowed to attend a qualifying match between Iran and Cambodia on Oct. 10.

© 2019 AFP